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Orlando Pride vs. CF Monterrey, NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup: Final Score 2-2 as Pride Draw Rayadas and Win Penalty Shootout

The Pride came back from two deficits to draw CF Monterrey Femenil in the Summer Cup before taking a second point on penalties.

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2 years ago

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Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

The Orlando Pride (0-0-2, 3 points) came back from two deficits to draw CF Monterrey Femenil (0-1-1, 1 point) 2-2 tonight at Inter&Co Stadium. Former Pride forward Christina Burkenroad gave the hosts the lead in the 43rd minute, but Alex Kerr equalized in the 50th minute with her first professional goal. Las Rayadas retook the lead in the 61st minute from a great Rebeca Bernal strike, and Julie Doyle, a second-half substitute in this game, equalized in the 83rd minute. The Pride then won 5-4 on penalties to claim the extra point.

Pride Head Coach Seb Hines made six changes to the starting lineup that drew 1-1 against the North Carolina Courage a week ago. McKinley Crone, Haley McCutcheon, Amanda Allen, Summer Yates, and Doyle all started the game on the bench and Bri Martinez was out after suffering a leg injury in North Carolina. They were replaced by Sofia Manner, Cori Dyke, Mariana Larroquette, Ally Lemos, Evelina Duljan, and Kerr.

“There’s a few niggles that we don’t want to risk. Haley McCutcheon, Kerry Abello both having niggles and we don’t want to put any of our players at risk,” Hines said. “But also it gives players an opportunity to go out there and perform. So, the likes of Cori Dyke coming in and playing left back position. She’s played a couple of times off the bench, but getting the start and rolling in that position was really important for us moving forward into the end of the season. Players like Ally Lemos, she’s had two starts all year, but coming in and starting the game, really important for her development moving forward. Evelina, you know, only played 10 minutes last game, but then getting her start and she fully took her opportunity today. And that was really pleasing to see. So, yeah, we’re going to need players in this last 10 games in the season to make sure that we get ourselves in a position that we all hope for, and what we wanted at the start of the year.”

Hines went with a 4-3-3 formation to start this game, a rarity for the Pride. The back line in front of Manner in goal was Dyke, Kylie Strom, Carrie Lawrence, and Celia. Lemos, Morgan Gautrat, and Duljan were in the midfield, with Ally Watt, Kerr, and Larroquette up top.

The Pride got off to the better start, creating multiple chances in the first 10 minutes. Meanwhile, the visitors struggled to get the ball into the final third. Rayadas had their first chance around the 30-minute mark and began to create problems after that. The main issue for this Pride lineup — which was largely made up of reserves — was finding the target. As a result, they had to come back from two deficits, but did so to get something from the game.

The Pride got off to an attacking start, though they found it difficult to find a way through the back line. Watt dribbled across the top of the box in the ninth minute and shot from distance, but it was blocked. Larroquette had her first chance to shoot shortly after and her first attempt at goal was blocked by a defender as well.

It looked like the Pride might have a breakaway in the 10th minute when Strom sent Kerr behind the Monterrey back line. She had a step on her defender, but the flag went up for offside.

In the 14th minute, Watt went down from a challenge by Jermaine Seoposenwe off of a Pride throw-in. The ensuing set piece by Lemos was headed over the crossbar by Merel van Dongen for the game’s first corner kick. Again, Lemos took the set piece. However, it was too close to Rayadas goalkeeper Pamela Tajonar, who caught it in the air.

The visitors had their first decent attack in the 23rd minute when Burkenroad dribbled towards the end line. She attempted to get a cross off, but Strom was there to block it out of play. The ensuing corner kick was to the back post, where van Dongen got her head to the ball, sending it wide.

The Pride were given a good opportunity in the 35th minute when a bad pass out of the back by van Dongen went straight to Lemos. The Pride midfielder played it forward for Kerr, who sent it right back. Karol Bernal challenged Lemos as she attempted to play the ball outside for Duljan, stepping on Lemos’ foot. Referee Shawn Tehini immediately whistled for a free kick just outside of the Monterrey box.

Larroquette and Lemos stood over the ball with Larroquette taking the set piece. The forward was looking for goal but sent her shot just wide of the near post.

The Pride won another corner kick in the 41st minute when Duljan made a run to the end line and her cross was blocked out of play by Bernal for a corner kick. Lemos’ ensuing set piece was over everyone and recovered by Gautrat. The Pride midfielder was shoved down by the forearm of Seoposenwe, but Tehini decided it wasn’t a foul.

After a quick pass with her teammate, Seoposenwe collided with Dyke just beyond midfield. The crowd booed as Tehini gave Monterrey a free kick with much less contact than the previous shove. Nicole Perez sent the free kick into the box where van Dongen headed it forward for Burkenroad. The forward’s second touch was past Manner and in to give the visitors a late first-half lead.

Neither team was able to create an opportunity in the three minutes of first-half stoppage time, so Monterrey took a 1-0 lead into the break. The Pride had more first-half possession (53%-47%) and shots (4-3), but the only attempt on target was Burkenroad’s goal.

“At halftime, we talked about what type of team do we want to be when we’re 1-0 down,” Hines said. “I thought in the first half we played a lot of direct play and I wanted us to control the game. Get a few more passes, use the middle, find the 10s in the middle, and the first half we didn’t do that. You know, the goal is frustrating because what led to it, the free kick, and we’ve been very good in defending set pieces this year. So that was disappointing.”

The Pride created the first chance of the second half just four minutes after the restart. It came from a long ball by Gautrat to Watt. The forward took on the multiple defenders by herself, eventually shooting from about 30 yards out. While this attempt wasn’t blocked, it went way over the goal.

The Pride found their equalizer in the 50th minute when Kerr received a long ball out of the back and used a great individual effort to get her first professional goal. The rookie received the ball on the left and, after dribbling inside, tried to play Watt back out wide. However, the ball bounced off a defender and went right back to her. Kerr shot for the corner from just outside of the box, putting it past Tajonar and in to even the game at 1-1.

“Got the ball and started driving inside, and then Ally kind of made that run outside. So, I originally tried to play that ball to her down the line that kind of got the rebound off the defender and just kept going inside and that was just up to me,” Kerr said about her goal. “So I just placed it hard and low on the ground.”

“It’s a great goal,” Hines said. “You know, received that in the wide space, having the ability to turn and play, cutting inside. You know, it’s a lucky ricochet, but having the composure to go back across goal and it’s a great finish.”

Hines made his first two changes in the 59th minute, bringing in a pair of regular starters. Kerry Abello and Yates came into the game for Strom and Gautrat. While Abello is usually a right back, she took over for Strom at center back after entering the game.

Monterrey retook the lead shortly after the changes, scoring its second goal in the 61st minute. Receiving the ball from the right, center back Rebeca Bernal took one touch before firing from long distance. Abello was closing down the defender, but the shot was past her. There wasn’t much Manner could do about it as the ball went into the corner to give the visitors a 2-1 lead.

They looked to extend their lead in the 62nd minute when Seoposenwe was sent down the left. Catching up to the ball before it crossed the end line, nobody in purple closed her down, enabling the midfielder to send it into the box. Abello was beaten to the ball by Myra Delgadillo, who volleyed it on target, but the redirection was right to Manner.

A poor clearance out of the back by Dyke in the 65th minute was won by Monterrey. Van Dongen collected the ball and her second touch was a shot from long distance. It was a quality strike, and the ball appeared to be heading just inside the far post, but Manner dove and caught it.

Shortly after the chance, Hines made his third substitution. Doyle, another regular starter for the Pride, came into the game for Larroquette. The Pride made their fourth change and used their final window in the 72nd minute. Watt exited the game and was replaced by Allen in a like-for-like change.

Doyle tried to get the Pride back even with multiple runs into the box, but she was usually unable to get past the defenders. The midfielder took a shot from long range in the 80th minute that just skipped wide of the post. She protested Tehini’s call of a goal kick, thinking it was off a defender or tipped by Tajonar, but it was ruled to have gone directly through and out of play.

The Pride found their second equalizer of the night in the 83rd minute. After receiving a short pass from Abello, Yates played a beautiful long pass to Celia on the right. The right back used a stepover to create some space and sent a low cross to the top of the six while falling down. Doyle was the first to the pass, redirecting it past Tajonar and into the far corner to even the game at 2-2.

“When I was on the bench, I saw that Celia was getting a lot of success on that wing, and you know Celia, she can serve a ball on the dime,” Doyle said. “So, I knew I just had to hold my run a little bit not close my own space, and I knew she was going to put it right where I wanted it, and that’s exactly what she did. She beat her player, she put it on the carpet, and all I had to do was guide it into the goal.”

Doyle had a chance to give her team the lead in the 86th minute when she was sent forward by Duljan. Despite the midfielder’s speed, the center backs were able to catch up with her and rustle the ball away, enabling Tajonar to collect it.

Six minutes were added to the second half, but neither team was able to create solid chances in that time. As a result, the game ended 2-2 and the Pride continued their unbeaten run in all competitions to start the season.

The Pride ended the game with more possession (51.5%-48.5%), shots (9-7), crosses (12-6), and corner kicks (4-1). They also had better passing accuracy (80.8%-77.4%) in the 90 minutes. The difference in the game was the shooting accuracy. The Pride only put two shots on target — both goals — and Rayadas put five of their seven chances on frame.

“Second half was a different team,” Hines said. “We played a lot more through the middle. The second goal epitomizes what we’re trying to do. Good pass out to Celia, great one-v-one, great run from Jules, and then an unbelievable finish to make it 2-2.”

The draw meant that the two teams would go to a penalty shootout to see who got the extra point. The penalties were well taken, with nine of the 10 penalties being converted. The difference came in the third round when van Dongen attempted a panenka. Manner stood her ground and didn’t dive, enabling her to catch the attempt without moving. After scoring the first equalizing goal in the second half, Kerr converted the final penalty and the Pride took two points from their second Summer Cup game.

The draw means that the Pride have still yet to lose this season in all competitions. After going unbeaten in their first 16 NWSL games, they’ve drawn both Summer Cup matches. As a result, they’re now on an 18-game unbeaten run this season.

The Pride will wrap up the group stage of the Summer Cup on Aug. 1 when they welcome Racing Louisville FC to Orlando.

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Orlando Pride vs. Washington Spirit: Final Score 1-0 as Pride End Three-Game Losing Streak

A third-minute goal from Haley McCutcheon was enough for the Pride to beat the Washington Spirit away from home.

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August 23, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

The Orlando Pride (8-11-2, 26 points) came away with a shocking 1-0 win over the Washington Spirit (11-6-4, 37 points) this afternoon at Audi Field in Washington, D.C. Haley McCutcheon’s third-minute goal gave the Pride the lead and they held on to claim all three points. Washington dominated the match but could not score on any of its 23 shots.

Pride Head Coach Seb Hines made two changes to the team that lost 2-1 to the Portland Thorns on Aug. 15. Cosette Morche got her first start of the year in goal, replacing regular starter Anna Moorhouse. Angelina also entered the lineup, replacing Solai Washington.

“She’s (Morche’s) been itching for an opportunity. I think Anna’s done great all season long, but we felt we needed to make a change in that position,” Hines said about the change in goal. “She’s been ready. She’s been hungry for this opportunity.”

The back line in front of Morche in goal was Hailie Mace, Rafaelle, Cori Dyke, and Oihane. Angelina and Ally Lemos were the defensive midfielders behind McCutcheon, Julie Doyle, and Jacquie Ovalle with Barbra Banda up top.

This was always going to be a tough game for the Pride. They’ve struggled since the FIFA World Cup break and entered on a three-game losing streak. But the combination of an early goal, Washington’s inability to hit the target, and an excellent last-minute save by Morche lifted the Pride to an unlikely and much-needed win.

The biggest moment of the game came in just the third minute. Banda took the ball off center back Elisabeth Tse’s foot to start a counterattack with Ovalle and McCutcheon making runs. Banda’s pass across the top of the box was too far in front of Ovalle but perfect for McCutcheon. The defensive midfielder struck the ball beautifully, tucking it past a diving Sandy MacIver and inside the near post to give the Pride a 1-0 lead.

“I saw Barbra get the ball, and I just needed to run as fast as I could,” McCutcheon said. “But we talked a lot about how I was in a wider, more advanced position today, and that was because I needed to make runs in the box. And so, I did that and arrived and just tried to place it. And thankfully found the back of the net.

“It’s something that we’ve always been working on. Once Barbra gets in those positions, can we get players to support the attack. Nine times out of 10, she’s going to get the advantage on the defender. So it’s believing in yourself and believing in delivering a really good ball,” Hines added. “And it’s a well-taken finish from Haley McCutcheon, who is playing out of position. But Haley’s done a terrific job since she’s come to the club of playing multiple positions for this team and doing whatever it takes for this team.”

The goal gave the Pride their first lead in four games. The club’s most recent lead was when Doyle scored in the 88th minute against Chicago Stars FC on July 24, which was also a winner.

“We wanted to try to silence this great crowd that they had today, and so that was really fun to do early on,” McCutcheon said. “But we’ve gone down in games and really struggled to come back from that. And so to go up and kind of give ourselves a little bit of a cushion was really nice.”

The first chance for the hosts came in the eighth minute when Trinity Rodman put Oihane under pressure, taking the ball right off her foot. As the attacker played the ball forward for Rosemonde Kouassi, Morche came off her line. Kouassi got to the ball first but was pushed wide. She attempted a chipped shot, but the Pride goalkeeper went up to catch it, ending a dangerous threat.

Banda fouled Tse in the 11th minute, giving Washington a free kick in a dangerous position. Sofia Cantore flicked on Kate Wiesner’s set piece delivery and Rafaelle blocked it. However, it went right back to Cantore, who sent her shot off the crossbar. The ball ended up with Tamara Bolt, who sent her attempt off the far post. The ball continued to bounce around the box before the Pride finally cleared it.

Banda outran Esme Morgan to get to an Angelina clearance behind the Spirit back line and in on goal. However, Morgan caught up, forcing the Pride striker to cut inside. Banda got a shot off, but Morgan did well to block it. Doyle followed the shot and sent her attempt over the target.

The game settled down after the Doyle miss with the next chance coming in the 30th minute. Kouassi received a long ball on the right and created space from Mace with a stepover. She found Rodman approaching the box, but the first-touch shot was off target.

Rafaelle fouled Tse from behind in the 38th minute, giving the hosts a free kick. Dyke’s short clearance fell to Kouassi, but Angelina deflected her follow-up shot out of play. Wiesner’s ensuing corner kick bounced off the near post. The Spirit quickly regained possession after Orlando’s clearance and Morgan played the ball up the field for Bolt on the right. Rafaelle tried to shield the attacker, but she was still able to win the ball. The defense knocked her cross to the top of the six to Rodman at the top of the box. Rodman’s shot went just wide of the near post.

Cantore dribbled into the Pride third of the field in the 42nd minute before finding Rodman to her left. Rodman cut inside and shot, but Dyke deflected it out for a corner. Bolt headed the ensuing free kick to Rodman behind her. Rodman sent in a ball to Tara Rudd, who headed wide to end the attack.

After 45 minutes, the Spirit had the edge in possession (72%-28%), shots (8-5), and passing accuracy (86%-70%). But the teams each had one shot on target and two corner kicks as the Pride took a slim 1-0 advantage into the break.

It took 10 minutes for either team to create a chance in the second half. In the 55th minute, just after Rafaelle blocked a cross out for a corner kick, Wiesner sent a set piece cross to the back post, where Rodman tried to redirect it on target, but the header was wide.

A minute later, Lemos sent the ball down the right for Banda. Tse tried to head the ball away but missed, allowing Banda to get into the Spirit half. Banda took Rudd one-on-one in the Washington box, creating enough space for a shot that went just wide of the far post.

Hines made his first change in the 62nd minute, sending on Nicole Payne for Doyle, who had picked up a knock.

The Spirit had a great chance in the 69th minute when Wiesner played a ball to Rodman down the left. Rodman beat Oihane and sent a low cross to the top of the six-yard box for Gift Monday. The halftime substitute did well to get around the ball, but Rafaelle blocked it.

Hines made his second substitution in the 77th minute with Summer Yates replacing Lemos.

Wiesner nearly intercepted Oihane’s throw-in in the 81st minute for Banda, however, the left back missed, allowing Banda to get behind. Rudd closed down the Zambian striker, forcing her to shoot early and the attempt went over the crossbar.

Kouassi fouled Ovalle near midfield in the 85th minute and it looked as though the Pride would just try to keep possession, but Ovalle had other ideas. The attacker played a pair of give-and-gos, first with Banda then with Yates. The second got her to the top corner of the six-yard box where her near-post shot forced MacIver into a save.

Banda took possession and got another shot off, but the Spirit blocked it and cleared their lines.

The fourth official showed 11 minutes of second-half stoppage time and it was full of chances. The first came when Hal Hershfelt lifted the ball into the box, but Monday put it over the crossbar.

The Pride went the other as Angelina sent a long ball over the top for Payne. The substitute had a step on Rudd and got into the Spirit box before sending her shot over the crossbar.

In the fifth minute of stoppage time, Monday tried to send the ball toward the end line for Gabrielle Carle, but Payne deflected it out of play. The corner kick found Monday, who headed it to the top of the six-yard box. Ashley Hatch attempted to continue it over Morche, heading it off the top of the crossbar and out of play.

Hines wanted to replace Ovalle with Luana after the miss, but the referee decided Ovalle took too long to come off, so the Pride had to play with 10 players for one minute while trying to maintain their one-goal lead. Luana came on 90 seconds later just before a corner kick Kouassi won.

Paige Metayer had a free run on the ensuing set piece and headed it on target, but Morche got her right hand to the ball, tipping it over the crossbar. 

“It was a little bit windy, and the cross was really moving, so I just got back in my goal and made just a reaction save,” Morche said. “Might have blacked out a little bit. I don’t remember all of it. I just got a palm on it and knew I had to push it out of the goal, which was kind of tough. But it just happened very fast.”

The next corner kick was to Monday at the back post, but she headed her attempt into the outside netting.

With time winding down, Washington continued pressing for an equalizer. In the 10th added minute, Morgan recieved a pass well outside the box. The defender took the long-distance attempt but couldn’t keep it down.

The Spirit went on one final attack in the 12th added minute. Kouassi flicked on Rudd’s long ball to the top of the box for Hatch. With her back to the goal, Hatch tried to flick the ball over Morche. But it was an easy catch by the Pride goalkeeper, who secured it for the win.

At full time, Washington had the edge in possession (73%-27%), shots (23-10), shots on target (3-2), corner kicks (11-2), and passing accuracy (85%-63%). But the Pride were able to keep the Spirit from scoring, hanging on for the win.

“Terrific result. Really gritty performance,” Hines said. “Took an early lead. The attention to detail was really good, players doing the roles and responsibilities, throwing bodies on the line throughout the whole game. And we got a little bit of luck. Obviously, good team, always going to create opportunities to score. Post helped us out, and, yeah, a really good collective performance from everyone.”

“I think that the first win after the spell we’ve had was going to be a hard one. It was going to be one that we had to earn every single thing,” McCutcheon added. “And we know that luck hasn’t gone our way in the past few games, and so we needed to create our own luck. Really proud of the group and how we responded to a really tough run.”

The win ends a three-game losing streak the Pride were on and places the Pride in 11th in the NWSL, still four spots behind the Seattle Reign for the final playoff spot. However, they’re only two points behind Seattle now, making a potential third consecutive playoff appearance much more possible.

The Pride will look to build off this win when they welcome the Utah Royals to Inter.co Stadium on Saturday night.

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Orlando Pride vs. Washington Spirit: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

The Pride look to end their three-game losing streak as they travel north to face the Washington Spirit.

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15 hours ago

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August 23, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Justin Glatt

Welcome to your match preview and live thread as the Orlando Pride (7-11-2, 23 points) travel north to face the Washington Spirit (11-5-4, 37 points). This is the second and final time the two teams will face each other in the regular season.

Here’s everything you need to know about today’s game.

History

The Pride and Spirit have played 30 times since Orlando joined the NWSL in 2016. The Pride are 9-8-6 in regular-season play against Washington and 11-11-8 in all competitions against the Spirit, adding in Challenge Cup and NWSL playoff matchups. Orlando is 4-4-3 against Washington in NWSL play away from home and 4-6-3 away in all competitions.

The last time these two teams met was on May 2 in Orlando. Sofia Cantore got off to a roaring start, netting a brace inside the first six minutes. Barbra Banda then scored two of her own in the 33rd and 39th minutes to send the game into the break even at 2-2. But the Spirit took over in the second half with goals by Claudia Martinez and Trinity Rodman, sealing a 4-2 victory.

The first meeting of 2025 took place on March 7 as the Pride hosted the NWSL Challenge Cup. Rafaelle netted the opening goal to give the Pride a late first-half lead. Leicy Santos equalized in the second half with a terrific strike, and the game finished tied at 1-1. The Spirit won the ensuing shootout 4-2 to claim the preseason trophy. 

The first league game of 2025 was held on April 19 in Orlando. Gift Monday scored the game’s lone goal in the second half, giving the Spirit the 1-0 win. On Oct. 18, in Washington, D.C., Kerry Abello opened the scoring late in the first half with an own goal, then scored one for her own team three minutes later. Cantore gave the Spirit the lead just before the half, but then Marta came on. The Pride captain’s shot off Narumi Miura equalized early in the second half and she converted a penalty later, after Ally Watt drew the foul, securing the 3-2 win.

The first meeting of 2024 took place April 26 in Washington, D.C. Angelina gave the Pride the early lead before Ouleymata Sarr equalized shortly before halftime. A Banda strike and a Summer Yates penalty conversion in the second half seemed to put the game away, but Anna Moorhouse dropped an easy catch from Ashley Hatch’s shot, giving the Spirit a second goal. Fortunately, the Pride held on for the 3-2 win.

They met a second time on Oct. 6 in Orlando. Despite dominating the game, the Pride didn’t convert until Marta scored early in the second half. Tara McKeown deflected an Adriana shot in for an own goal later, lifting the Pride to a 2-0 win and clinching the NWSL Shield. The Pride and Spirit were the best two teams throughout the season and faced each other in the NWSL Championship on Nov. 23 in Kansas City. Banda’s first-half goal was the difference in the game as the Pride won their first-ever league title.

The first meeting of 2023 took place May 10 at Audi Field in NWSL Challenge Cup group play. Tori Hansen gave the Pride a surprising early lead, but late first-half goals by Lena Silano, Sam Staab, and Marissa Sheva made it 3-1 Washington at halftime. Watt scored off the bench early in the second half, but Ashley Sanchez put the game away in injury time as the Spirit won 4-2.

The first regular-season matchup of 2023 was held May 20 in Orlando. Marta converted a first-half penalty, but Staab equalized five minutes later. Kylie Strom netted the winner late as the Pride won 2-1. The Pride dominated the Spirit in the second regular-season matchup on July 1. Julie Doyle had a brace in the first 16 minutes and a McKeown own goal put the game out of reach as the Pride won 3-0.

The final meeting in 2023 was in the Challenge Cup on Aug. 4 in Orlando. The game appeared to be headed for a scoreless draw until Mariana Speckmaier scored eight minutes into second-half injury time, lifting her team to a 1-0 win.

In 2022, the teams first met on May 27 at Exploria Stadium. Rodman gave the Spirit an early lead and Hatch doubled the advantage after halftime. As the game entered second-half stoppage time, it appeared as though the Pride would fall for the second straight time, but late goals by Mikayla Cluff and Darian Jenkins stunned Washington with a 2-2 draw. The teams met again on July 17 at Audi Field, and the Spirit dominated the game statistically but couldn’t find the back of the net, resulting in a scoreless draw.

Prior to the draw in May, the Pride and Spirit played two games in the 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup. The first was a scoreless draw held March 19 in Orlando. The second Challenge Cup meeting took place April 3 at Audi Field. Gunny Jonsdottir scored the team’s first goal in four games. However, the Spirit already had a 3-0 lead. Rodman added another goal as the Pride fell 4-1.

The teams played four times during 2021. On April 21 in the Challenge Cup, Sydney Leroux’s goal helped the Pride win 1-0. The Pride opened their regular season by hosting the Spirit on May 16. Hatch gave Washington the lead, but Alex Morgan equalized to claim a 1-1 draw. The second regular-season meeting that year happened on June 6 in Washington. Hatch opened the scoring, but Taylor Kornieck equalized minutes later, resulting in another 1-1 draw. The teams met for the final time in 2021 on Aug. 22 at Audi Field. Marta gave the Pride the lead, but Hatch equalized just two minutes later. It looked like it would be a third straight 1-1 draw, but Sanchez won it for Washington late.

Due to the pandemic, the Pride and Spirit didn’t play in 2020, but they faced each other three times in 2019, first meeting on July 6 in Orlando. Marta scored a brace in the second half, leading the Pride to a 4-3 win. They played again on Aug. 24 in Washington. Crystal Thomas gave the hosts the lead and Marta equalized. Hatch’s goal lifted the Spirit to a 2-1 win. The final game was supposed to be the following weekend but was postponed due to Hurricane Dorian. The game was eventually played Oct. 9 in Orlando and the Spirit dominated the rubber match, beating the Pride 3-0.

The first of two meetings in 2018 took place March 31 at the Maryland SoccerPlex. Hatch scored a goal and added an assist in a 2-0 win for the Spirit. The Pride got their revenge in the second game in the same location. Alanna Kennedy’s goal was the difference as the Pride won 1-0. The final meeting that year was held July 7 in Orlando. Hatch gave the Spirit the lead, but Leroux scored just before halftime and a Marta goal gave Orlando the 2-1 win.

The 2017 season was the first time the teams played three times in a year. Their April 22 meeting was the Pride’s first home game that year. Line Sigvardsen-Jensen gave the visitors the lead, but Danica Evans answered as the teams drew 1-1. They met for the second time that year in Maryland on July 8 when Marta and Mallory Pugh both scored braces in a 2-2 draw. The final game in 2018 was on Aug. 8 in Orlando. Marta, Camila, and Morgan all scored as the Pride ran away with a 3-0 win.

The Spirit swept the first two meetings in 2016, winning 2-0 in Maryland and 2-1 in Orlando.

Overview

It’s been a nightmare for the Pride since the FIFA World Cup break and it’s not getting any better. The team is 2-6-0 and has lost three consecutive games. The stretch started with Orlando challenging for a home playoff game and has seen the team fall all the way to 13th and four points behind the Seattle Reign for the eighth and final playoff position.

The only real positive this year has been the play of Banda, who leads the league with 12 goals. The striker was coming off an injury when play restarted in early July and then departed for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations. But she’s back now, a welcome sight since nobody else on the team has been able to score consistently.

Banda played 65 minutes in her return to action, a 2-1 loss to the Portland Thorns on Aug. 15. She’ll likely start again and play even more minutes.

With Banda absent or playing limited minutes, the Pride have found it hard to score. They’ve been shut out four times and only scored multiple goals in one game, a shocking 3-0 win over the Kansas City Current on July 10.

Unfortunately, the defense hasn’t been any better. The Pride have conceded multiple goals in each of their last three games, including five against the North Carolina Courage on July 31, three against Racing Louisville FC on Aug. 7, and twice on Aug. 15 against Portland.

The Pride need to turn things around, but it won’t be easy today. The Spirit are one of the best teams in the league, currently sitting in second place on 37 points. They’re six points behind Gotham FC atop the standings and are trying to hold off the Utah Royals and San Diego Wave, just one point back.

While the Pride are struggling on both ends of the field, the Spirit have been excellent everywhere. Their 30 goals rank fifth in the league and their 18 goals conceded are second fewest. Their goal difference of +12 is second only to Gotham, which has a goal difference of +13.

If there’s a time to play the Spirit, this might be it. They’ve hit a rough patch the last few games, falling 1-0 to San Diego on Aug. 2, losing 4-3 to North Carolina on Aug. 8, and drawing Angel City FC 1-1 on Aug. 16.

Superstar forward Rodman has led the Spirit attack this year. Her 10 goals place her third behind Banda and North Carolina’s Ashley Sanchez in the NWSL Golden Boot race. She’s followed in goals by Santos and Cantore with five each, Martinez and Rebeca Bernal with three apiece, and Tara Rudd, Monday, and Hal Hershfelt, who have each scored once.

Defensively, the Spirit have been without their leader, goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury, who had a baby last month. In her place, Sandy MacIver has done well to keep things heading in the right direction. It helps that she’s had a consistent back line of Kate Wiesner, Esme Morgan, Rudd, and Gabrielle Carle. All four have played at least 16 of the team’s 20 games this year. Helping matters for the Washington defense is the return of central midfielder Andi Sullivan from injury.

“It’s always a tough game going to Washington. They have a good set of players,” Pride Head Coach Seb Hines said about today’s opponent. “Historically, we’ve done all right there over the last couple of occasions we’ve been to Audi Field. That should give us a lot of confidence that we can go out there and get three points.”

The Pride will take the field today without Kylie Nadaner (maternity leave), Viviana Villacorta (knee), Marta (excused absence), Kerry Abello (thigh), and Solai Washington (head). The Spirit are without Melissa Bethi (excused absence), Lucia Di Guglielmo (lower leg), Kingsbury (maternity leave), Casey Krueger (maternity leave), Monique Ngock (excused absence), and Santos (hip).

Official Lineups

Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Cosette Morche.

Defenders: Hailie Mace, Rafaelle, Cori Dyke, Oihane.

Defensive Midfielders: Ally Lemos, Haley McCutcheon.

Attacking Midfielders: Angelina, Jacquie Ovalle, Julie Doyle

Forward: Barbra Banda.

Bench: Anna Moorhouse, Cara Martin, Hannah Anderson, Zara Chavoshi, Luana, Nicole Payne, Zoe Matthews, Summer Yates, Gabi Nunes.

Washington Spirit (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Sandy MacIver.

Defenders: Kate Wiesner, Tara Rudd, Elisabeth Tse, Esme Morgan.

Defensive Midfielders: Debi Abiodun, Rosemonde Kouassi.

Attacking Midfielders: Trinity Rodman, Hal Hershfelt, Tamara Bolt.

Forward: Sofia Cantore.

Bench: Sara Wojdelko, Rebeca Bernal, Gabrielle Carle, Madison Haugen, Andi Sullivan, Paige Metayer, Claudia Martinez, Gift Monday, Ashley Hatch.

Referees

REF: Matthew Corrigan.
AR1: Colin Ashley.
AR2: Tom Felice.
4TH: Max Alatorre.
VAR: Shawn Tehini.
AVAR: Brian Marshall.

How to Watch

Match Time: 4 p.m.

Venue: Audi Field — Washington, D.C.

TV: ESPN2.

Streaming: ESPN App.

Social Media: For live updates and rapid reaction, follow @themaneland.bsky.social and the Orlando Pride’s official Twitter (@ORLPride) or Bluesky (@orlpride.com) feed.

Enjoy the game. Go Pride!

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Orlando Pride

The Orlando Pride Turn to New Additions Amid Injuries, Absences

The Pride have been forced to accelerate the integration of their newest additions.

Published

7 days ago

on

August 17, 2026

By

Image of Orlando Pride forward Gabi Nunes.
Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Justin Glatt

The Orlando Pride have suffered some significant injuries and absences all season, but especially in recent weeks, forcing Head Coach Seb Hines to turn to his newest players sooner than expected.

The Pride signed 19-year-old midfielder Zoe Matthews on July 16 and veteran forward Gabi Nunes on Aug. 4 with the intention of gradually integrating both into the squad. Instead, injuries and a key international absence have accelerated that timeline, calling on both attackers to contribute before Hines originally planned.

Barbra Banda missed time while representing Zambia at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, where Zambia finished third in Group C and was eliminated Aug. 5. Banda was then able to return to Orlando, but her absence came during an important stretch of the Pride’s season.

The Pride entered their match against Portland having scored 22 goals through 17 games, an average of just 1.29 goals per game. They’ve also struggled to score during their recent run, scoring only once across their losses to the North Carolina Courage and Racing Louisville FC before Saturday’s game in Portland.

That has made the timing of the arrivals of Matthews and Nunes particularly important.

Matthews was the first to make her debut, appearing off the bench on July 31 in a 5-0 loss in North Carolina. The teenager’s appearance came just 15 days after her signing. While Hines would have preferred to give her more time to get comfortable with her new surroundings, the Pride needed another option off the bench.

“It happened sooner than we would’ve wanted to,” Hines said after Matthews’ debut. “We needed her to get up to speed, but we needed options off the bench. And we felt Zoe was an option off the bench.”

Matthews’ debut came on the same night Marta suffered a head injury, adding to the Pride’s list of absences. The timing meant that while Matthews was still learning her new team, the Pride were also losing one of the team’s most experienced and influential players.

Nunes faced a similar situation, with even less time to prepare.

The Pride signed the 29-year-old forward Aug. 4, and she made her debut Saturday night against Portland Thorns FC just 11 days later. Nunes entered as a second-half substitute as the Pride searched for an attacking spark, eventually falling 2-1 after the Thorns scored in second-half stoppage time.

Hines acknowledged that the circumstances surrounding Nunes’ debut were not what he had envisioned.

“We would’ve liked to enter (Nunes) in different circumstances,” Hines said. “She hasn’t trained with the team too much since she came in here.”

Nunes arrived with extensive professional and international experience, but even an experienced player needs time to learn a new team’s system and develop chemistry with new teammates. In Nunes’ case, that process has been compressed because the Pride need attacking options immediately.

Hines also indicated that Orlando is being mindful of Nunes’ physical readiness. After noting that she had not trained much with the team, he said the Pride need to make sure they are “doing the right things” by following the recommendations of the medical staff.

The Pride have not publicly indicated that Nunes is dealing with a specific injury, so Hines’ comments should not necessarily be interpreted as meaning she arrived in Orlando injured or recovering from an injury. They do, however, show that the club is considering her physical workload as she adjusts to a new team after having limited training time.

The situation leaves Hines balancing two competing needs.

On one hand, Matthews and Nunes need time. Matthews is 19 and is adjusting to professional soccer in Orlando, while Nunes is learning a new system and new teammates in the middle of a season.

On the other hand, the Pride need them.

The Pride have struggled to score consistently throughout the season, increasing the importance of every available attacking option. They entered Saturday’s match in Portland having scored only 22 goals through the first 17 games.

The recent results have made the problem more pressing. The Pride lost 1-0 to Utah on July 18, were thumped by North Carolina on July 31, and lost 3-1 to Racing Louisville on Aug. 8 before Saturday’s defeat in Portland. The only positive result in that stretch was a 1-0 win over the last-place Chicago Stars at home on July 24.

Their inability to consistently produce goals has made the addition of Nunes particularly important. She was not brought in simply to add another name to the roster. She was brought in to provide another attacking option during a stretch when the Pride needed one.

But Hines can’t expect Nunes to immediately replace what the team has been missing.

There is a learning curve involved. A forward needs to understand where teammates want the ball, when they make runs, and how the team creates chances. Those connections normally develop through weeks of training and matches.

Nunes has had 11 days. Matthews has had only a little longer. The Pride have essentially been forced to shorten that learning curve.

There can be benefits to getting new players onto the field quickly. Competitive matches provide opportunities that training can’t completely replicate, allowing players to experience the speed and pressure of their new environment while learning how their teammates play.

But Hines’ comments make clear that this was not necessarily the preferred plan. With Matthews, the Pride needed an option off the bench. With Nunes, they needed an attacking option despite her limited time with the team.

The circumstances have made patience difficult.

The Pride’s loss to Portland was the club’s third consecutive defeat, dropping Orlando to 7-11-2 on the season and 11th in the NWSL standings. With 10 regular-season matches remaining, the team has little time to wait for its newest players to become fully comfortable before asking them to contribute.

The next opportunity comes Sunday away to the Washington Spirit.

By then, Matthews will have had more time with the team. Nunes will have had another week of training and another opportunity to understand what Hines wants from her.

That time could make a difference. For now, however, the Pride have had to ask their newest players to learn on the job. The circumstances are not ideal and Hines has said as much about both players. But with Marta unavailable, Banda having missed time for international duty, and an attack searching for more goals, the Pride have needed options sooner than expected.

Matthews and Nunes were brought in to help the Pride over the final stretch of the season. The final stretch simply arrived for them earlier than planned.

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